According to the interviewer, Molly McNearney, you can talk about her all you like, but with great friends, cool new projects, and still-perfect hair, Jennifer Aniston is doing just fine.At 49, she knows who she is.
About remaining poised and balanced while others desperately try to tell her story for her
-- There are definitely moments of not being balanced and poised, but I do that all in my own personal space. For the most part I can sit back and laugh at the ridiculous headlines because they have gotten more and more absurd. I guess they’re feeding into some sort of need the public has, but I focus on my work, my friends, my animals, and how we can make the world a better place. That other stuff is junk food that needs to go back in its drawer.
About men, babies and heartbreaks
-- It’s pretty crazy. The misconceptions are “Jen can’t keep a man,” and “Jen refuses to have a baby because she’s selfish and committed to her career.” Or that I’m sad and heartbroken. First, with all due respect, I’m not heartbroken. And second, those are reckless assumptions. No one knows what’s going on behind closed doors. No one considers how sensitive that might be for my partner and me. They don’t know what I’ve been through medically or emotionally. There is a pressure on women to be mothers, and if they are not, then they’re deemed damaged goods. Maybe my purpose on this planet isn’t to procreate. Maybe I have other things I’m supposed to do.
About body positivity
-- You know, a swimsuit body is a body in a swimsuit, no matter what that body is. It’s time to just stop thinking beauty is in the shape of a size 4 and the right butt size and the right waist size and the right measurements. It’s just old. We’ve done it. We’ve been there. Let’s move on.
About women writing, producing and directing
-- We need to find more women like her [Rachel Morrison] and give them the opportunities. It’s like mining for gold. We shouldn’t be shoving female directors and producers down each other’s throats because we have to. Then we’re making those decisions from a place of fear.
About harassment in the workplace
-- I’ve definitely had some sloppy moves made on me by other actors, and I handled it by walking away. I’ve never had anyone in a position of power make me feel uncomfortable and leverage that over me. In my personal experience I’ve been treated worse verbally and energetically by some women in this industry.
About sexism
-- I’ve definitely had my fair share of sexism in the media. Women are picked apart and pitted against one another based on looks and clothing and superficial stuff. When a couple breaks up in Hollywood, it’s the woman who is scorned. The woman is left sad and alone. She’s the failure. F that. When was the last time you read about a divorced, childless man referred to as a spinster?
About being bullied as a kid
-- I was one of those kids who got sort of bullied, and I don’t know why. I was one of the kids who the others would decide to make fun of. It was an odd period of time during fifth, sixth, seventh grades. I was a little on the chubby side, so I was just that kid. Childhood is such a vulnerable time, and I’m sure a part of me believed all that they teased me about. Thankfully, I didn’t have a phone or social media to look at and think, “Oh, I’m not this, I’m not that.” I just wanted to have fun and play capture the flag.
About Social Media
-- I don’t have Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram accounts. I will totally admit that I can dip into Instagram and sort of be a secret voyeur. I’m a creeper. There are times when I’ll look through and think, “Oh my god, what a time suck!” I’ve been with people who spend maybe an hour figuring out this one post, and you’re like, “That just took up an hour of your life, and it’s gone in 60 seconds.” It feels like we are losing connection. I think we’re losing conversation. It’s hard enough being a teenager and feeling like you fit in. Now we’re actively creating an environment and a platform for you to tell someone, “I like you” or “I don’t like you.” That seems like an unhealthy formula for already-insecure adolescents. We’re pouring fuel on a fire.
About a "Friends" comeback
-- Before that show ended, people were asking if we were coming back. Courteney [Cox] and Lisa [Kudrow] and I talk about it. I fantasize about it. It really was the greatest job I ever had. I don’t know what it would look like today, but you never know. So many shows are being successfully rebooted. I know Matt LeBlanc doesn’t want to be asked that question anymore. But maybe we could talk him into it. If we give it some time, Lisa, Courteney, and I could reboot The Golden Girls and spend our last years together on wicker furniture.
I picked my favorite parts to feature here, but you can read the entire interview on InStyle. It's a long read, but if you love Jen, then you'll enjoy it.
xoxo
|barefoot duchess|
Photos via Hollywood Life
